A Warrior's Second Chance (Faye and Alexander) novel Chapter 203

Chapter 203

FAYE

I didn’t realize how exhausted Alexander truly was until I watched him fall asleep.

He had barely touched the bed after his bath when sleep pulled him under- heavy and immediate, like his body had simply shut down the moment it felt safe enough.

I had done my best–massaged the tension out of his shoulders, worked my fingers gently along the knots in his back, and let him lean into the quiet comfort I could offer. I couldn’t fight his battles or take away the weight of an

entire pack balanced on his shoulders. But I could give him this–a few hours

of peace in a world that kept trying to push him past his breaking point.

Now I lay beside him, fingers slipping lazily through his hair. It was softer

than ever, warm from sleep, slightly damp from the earlier bath. He looked…

younger like this. Calm in a way I rarely saw. The crease between his brows

had disappeared completely, and if I didn’t know better, I would have thought

he was someone with a simple, quiet life.

I knew better.

Still, I let myself enjoy this version of him for a little while.

Alexander shifted slightly, and I froze, watching his eyelashes flutter. A moment later, he inhaled deeply and opened his eyes. That familiar sharpness returned almost instantly–not harsh, just aware–like his brain rebooted straight into alpha mode even before he fully woke.

“You’re awake,” I whispered. “Shortest nap in the history of naps.”

“But it helped,” he said.

I reached over without thinking and brushed a thumb across his brow to

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smooth the frown threatening to return. He closed his eyes briefly at the

touch–just for a heartbeat–and something warm fluttered in my chest. But

then he exhaled and opened his hand toward me.

“Pass me my phone, please.”

I did, pulling it from the nightstand. He checked the screen, his expression

sobering instantly.

“We need to go, I have an appointment,” he said, sitting up.

“It’s Saturday,” I said.

He nodded. “There’s supposed to be a briefing at the pack house this

morning.”

Oh.

I watched him stretch–long, slow, his muscles shifting under his skin–and sat up as well. He reached for his shirt but didn’t put it on. He just looked at it

for a second, expression distant.

“Come here,” I said softly.

He did.

I slipped the shirt over his shoulders, my fingers working quietly through the buttons. The intimacy of it hit me unexpectedly–gentle, easy, domestic. Something people did every day, but for us? It felt like stepping into a space I

wasn’t sure I was allowed to enter.

When I reached the last button, I lifted my hand to fix his hair, smoothing

down the stubborn strands at his temple.

He caught both my wrists gently.

Then, without a word, he lifted my hands to his lips and kissed my palms-

slow, soft.

။။

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Chapter 203

Heat shot through me so fast I forgot how to breathe.

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“If you keep doing that,” he murmured, eyes half–lidded, voice still thick from sleep, “I’ll go right back to bed.”

I swallowed. “And that would be… bad because?”

He huffed a laugh. “Because I have a pack to run. A traitor to deal with. And enemies waiting at every corner.”

Right… that.

“Okay,” I whispered, pulling back quickly. “Alright, alpha. Shall we?”

He shook his head, amused, but stood and buttoned his sleeves. I slipped my shoes on while he grabbed his jacket, and together we stepped out of the bedroom into the living room.

As we walked toward the main door, curiosity finally tugged too hard to ignore. I hadn’t asked last night–too much had been happening, and the air had been heavy with worry. But now…

“Alexander?” I asked as he reached for the door.

“Yes?” he answered without turning.

I glanced around the place again–the clean but simple setup, the quiet hallways, the lack of personal items. “Where… exactly is this place?”

He paused, hand still on the door handle, then looked over his shoulder at me. “Why?”

“I just “I shrugged. “I’ve been here since last night and have no idea where‘ here‘ is.”

A soft breath escaped him, almost a laugh. “It’s part of the company staff quarters.”

“Oh.” That actually made sense.

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His gaze lingered on me for a second longer, like he was trying to read something on my face. I offered a small smile, and after a beat, he opened

the door.

“Let’s go home,” he said quietly.

ALEXANDER

The square was already filled when I stepped forward…wolves lined in tight rows, every rank represented, every pair of eyes fixed on me. I could feel it

crawling under their skin, pressing on their breaths. They were restless even before I spoke.

I lifted my chin, letting my gaze sweep across my people.

“Some of you already know,” I said, my voice cutting cleanly through the

murmurs, “but many do not.”

The air stilled. That was the effect truth always had.

“Yesterday, a man walked into my office and stabbed my Beta.”

The reaction was instant–shock tearing through the crowd, wolves

stiffening, whispers spreading like cracks in glass.

“He did this not as an infiltrator from another pack,” I continued, “but as a

member of Blood Crescent.”

More murmurs. Faye, standing quietly at my side, didn’t say a word. She

didn’t need to. I felt her tension even without looking at her.

“He committed treason,” I said, voice turning cold. “And treason is

punishable by execution.”

Fear, agreement, discomfort… I saw all of it on their faces as the weight of

the sentence sank in.

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“There will be no mercy,” I added. “Not now. Not when the safety of this pack has been compromised from within.”

Some nodded, accepting. Others looked away. It didn’t matter. My decision

stood.

I dismissed the general members with a sharp gesture.

“Return to your duties. Council members stay.”

The square slowly emptied until only the council remained–a half–circle of older wolves, unit leaders, and advisers watching me intently. Faye stayed

where she was, silent but alert, her eyes never leaving me. I could feel her concern as clearly as my own heartbeat

I folded my hands behind my back.

“I’m here to officially address a matter many of you have already heard whispers about,” I said.

Tension thickened around us.

“It’s about Marcus.”

Several council members stiffened. Of course they recognized the name.

He’d been a shadow stretching over this pack for far too long.

“For those unaware of the full story,” I continued, “Marcus claims to be my father’s first son. Illegitimate. Raised outside Blood Crescent.”

Their silence was heavy, weighted.

“He came forward months ago, demanding his right to the position of Alpha.”

Some scoffed; others shifted uncomfortably. The truth was uglier than any

rumor.

“I ignored him at first–not out of fear, but because he wasn’t worth

acknowledging. But it’s clear he doesn’t intend to walk away. He wants

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chaos, and he won’t stop until he gets the recognition he’s hungry for.”

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My gaze flicked toward Faye for a heartbeat. Her expression was calm on the surface, but I knew her well enough to sense the chaos beneath it. She didn’t like where this was going. She didn’t have to say it.

“So,” I said, letting the words fall with weight, “I’ve decided to indulge him and end this once and for all.”